Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
LIGHTED VEHICLE WASH DRYER ASSEMBLY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
/00011 The present application ciaims priority to US. Patent Application
Serial No,
15/067,587 entitled "Lighted Vehicle Wash Dryer Assembly", filed on March 11,
2016; U.S.
Patent Application Serial No. 15/068,599 entitled "Dryer Design for a Vehicle
Wash
System", filed on March 13, 2016; US. Patent Application Seri& No. 15/068,602
entitled
"Method of Forming a Lighted Dryer Housing", filed on March 13, 2016; and U,S,
Patent
Application Serial No. 15/068,6 / / entitled "Lighted Vehicle Wash Dryer
Assembly with
Opaque Lettering on Housing", filed on March 13, 2016 all of which claim
priority to U,S.
Provisional Patent Application Serial No, 62/208,924, entitled "Vehicle Wash
Dryer
Assembly", filed August 24, 2015, the disclosure of which are all hereby
incorporated by
reference as though set forth fully herein,
TECHNICAL FIELD
I:00021 The present disclosure relates generally to a lighted vehicle wash
component.
More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a dryer assembly for a
vehicle wash
facility which employs lights to provide improved aesthetics,
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[00031 Vehicle wash facilities are generally known to have dark and dirty
environments, which can make them unattractive to customers and potential
customers, This
environment results, in part, from the fact that current rotary brush
components typically
employ a cylindrical central hub design that is densely populated with a
plurality of washing
elements such that the hub is not visible either at rest or during operation.
This densely
populated hub also serves to block a great deal of light to a vehicle occupant
as the wash
component approaches the vehicle during the vehicle wash process due to the
large volume of
the washing elements. This can result in a significant darkening of the
vehicle interior and an
1
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
unpieasank wash experience for the vehicle occupant. Combine this darkness
with
windshields and side windows that are often covered with soapy water and
visibility for
vehicle occupants within current vehicle wash facilities is generally very
low,
[0004)
Consequently, some wash owners have made an attempt to brighten this
environment and enhance a user's wash experience though the use of lighted
arches and
signs, to create somewhat of a "carnival" feel, Many vehicle wash facilities
also employ
lights and lighted signs as a way to advertise extra wash services like tire
shine, sealer wax,
and triple foam as well as to drive traffic to and create more revenue for
their vehicle wash
facility. While these lighted arches and lighted signs may be effective in
drawing consumer.
attention to the wash or these extra services they offer, the lighting is very
selective and does
little to improve the overall environment within the vehicle wash facility.
1;0005]
Additionally, these lighted arches and signs are generally provided outside of
or at the entrance end of the vehicle wash system in order to try and attract
potential
customers to take advantage of the vehicle wash services or to provide a
positive impression
for customers before they enter the vehicle wash system. More recently, as
discussed in
Applicants' 1,.%& Patent No, 8,819,887, lights have been incorporated into
vehicle wash
components that rotate as the components rotate. This configuration allows the
lights to be
more easily visible to consumers while their vehicle is being treated such
that the vehicle
wash experience is less dark and intimidating. However, lighting effects have
not been used
in or adjacent the exit end of the vehicle wash system, which is generally the
area visible to
other motorists passing by the vehicle wash facility. Typically, any lights in
other areas of
the wash facility cannot be readily seen by others driving by the facility.
Thus, the exit end
of current vehicle wash systems are still dark, noisy and relatively
intimidating to both
customers and potential customers, Moreover, any lights in other parts of the
wash facility
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
have only a limited effect on the marketing of wash services to vehicles
passing thereby as
they cannot be readily seen.
100061 Another
disadvantage of current vehicle wash confiuurations is that they share
a largely similar, utilitarian appearance that makes it correspondingly
difficult for wash
owners to provide a distinctive or memorable service offering to their
customers. Lighted
arches and signs that are used in existing wash facilities do little to
overcome this problem as
any attempted branding created thereby is obstructed to vehicle occupants
during the wash
process, as discussed above. Moreover, while the lighted brushes in U.S.
Patent Na
/3,819,8S7 provide significant improvements in this regard, the dark exit end,
which is the last
portion of the wash system encountered by vehicles, can negatively affect a
user's wash
experience.
f6(3071 It
would thus be desirable to provide a vehicle wash component that addresses
these issues,
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
MOM it is
therefore an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that provides improved aesthetics,
[0009I It is
another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that enhances customer experience during
the wash
process.
KI011:11 It is a
further aspect of the present disclosure to provide a lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that assists in creating and/or enhancing
brand
recognition,
[NH] It is a
still another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that can brighten the environment therein
and
particularly at an exit end of the wash facility.
3
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
[00121 It is yet another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a
lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that yields enhanced brightness and
aesthetics when not
in use.
[00131 It is still yet another aspect of the present disclosure to provide
a lighted dryer
assembly for a vehicle wash facility that provides confirmation to a customer
that a particular
event is occurring, such as an ordered service.
[00141 In accordance with the above and the other aspects of the present
disclosure, a
lighted dryer assembly is provided. The lighted dryer assembly includes a
housing portion
having a generally hollow interior. The housing having an air inlet portion
disposed adjacent
an upper portion of the housing. A blower assembly disposed adjacent the air
inlet portion
for drawing air into the housing portion. The housing including a nozzle
portion configured
to emit high velocity air therefrom, for removing water from an exterior
surface of a vehicle
while disposed in a vehicle treatment area. The housing being constructed of a
translucent
material and including a light source disposed therein and configured to emit
light that can be
seen by a vehicle disposed in the vehicle treatment area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
100151 Other aspects of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated,
as the same
becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description
when
considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[00161 FIG I is a perspective view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly
including
a pair of opposing blower assemblies in accordance with an aspect of the
present disclosure;
[00171 FIG 2 is a front view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly
including a pair
of opposing blower assemblies in accordance with an aspect of the present
disclosure;
100181 FIG 3 is a schematic illustration of a blower assembly housing with
an
illumination source therein in accordance with an aspect of the present
disclosure;
.4
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
[0019j FIG 4 is
an exploded view of a blower assembly and illumination source in
accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG 5 is
a cross-sectional view of the blower assembly housing of FIG 3 in the
direction of the arrows 5-5;
[0021) FIG 6 is
a front view of a blower assembly in accordance with an aspect of the
present disclosure;
[0022] FIG 7 is
a side view of a blower assembly in accordance with an aspect of the
present disclosure;
100231 FIG 8 is
a perspective view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly in
accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;
[0024) FIG 9 is
a side view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly in accordance
with another aspect of the present disclosure;
E00251 FIG 10
is a cross-sectional view of the lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly of
FIG 9 in the direction of the arrows AA;
[0026] FIG 11
is another side view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly in
accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure;
100271 FIG 12
is a perspective view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly
according to still a further aspect of the present disclosure; and
[0028) FIG 13
is a front view of a lighted vehicle wash dryer assembly according to
still a further aspect of the present disclosure,
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
10029i
According to an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a treatment
component
for a vehicle wash system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates
to a dryer
assembly 10 for use in removing excess water from an exterior surface of a
vehicle as part of
a vehicle wash process. According, to an aspect, the dryer assembly 10 may
emit high
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
velocity air onto a vehicle exterior to remove excess water therefrom.
According to a further
aspect, the dryer assembly 10 may be configured to emit water and air in order
to remove
water and/or soap from a vehicle exterior. An exemplary device for emitting
water and air is
disclosed in Applicant's co-pending Application Serial No. 14/673,157, filed
March 30,
2015, and entitled "Vehicle Treatment Apparatus that Emits Air and Water",
which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.
[00301 According to an aspect, the dryer assembly 10 may be utilized as
part of a
vehicle wash system. It will be appreciated that the vehicle wash system may
be configured
as a tunnel car wash where a vehicle is conveyed through the wash process by a
conveyor or
the like as is known in the art. Alternatively, the vehicle wash system may be
configured as a
roll-over type system where the vehicle remains stationary and the various
treatment
components may be translated and/or moved with respect to the vehicle to
perform the
vehicle wash process. The disclosed dryer assembly may be employed in
connection with
other suitable wash processes and systems as are known. According to an
aspect, the vehicle
wash system may be housed within a vehicle wash facility having am entrance
end where a
vehicle enters, an exit end where the vehicle leaves, and a vehicle treatment
area where the
vehicle is cleaned. It will be appreciated that the disclosed dryer assembly
10 could also be
employed in connection with a variety of other applications outside of a
vehicle wash system,
such as a manual wash or self-serve wash process,
[00.311 According to a further aspect, an exemplary vehicle wash system
into which
the disclosed component may be incorporated can include a plurality of vehicle
wash
components that engage and/or treat the exterior of a vehicle as it passes
through the vehicle
wash facility to effectuate a vehicle wash process. For example, the
components can include
a rinse arch, which sprays water onto a vehicle to wet the exterior surface
for further
processing. Another component can include a bubble device that generates
bubbles and emits
.:6.
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
them directly onto a vehicle exterior in order to provide a supply of soap for
cleaning
purposes. Other components may include one or more top brushes for contacting
a top
exterior surface of a vehicle, a plurality of side brushes for contacting side
exterior surfaces
of a vehicle and a plurality of wrap brushes for contacting front and back
surfaces of a
vehicle, Another component may include wheel scrubbers for engaging vehicle
wheels.
According to a further aspect, the system can include a wheel polishing device
for treating
vehicle wheels.
[00321 It will be appreciated that more, less or different wash components
may he
employed. Additionally, multiples of the same components may be employed as
part of the
system, as desired.
Further, the components may take on a variety of different
configurations. Moreover, the order, placement and sequence of the components
within the
system may also vary. According to an aspect, the components may be designed
to engage
and/or treat a vehicle disposed within the vehicle treatment area of the
vehicle wash facility,
[00331 With reference to FIG 1, the dryer assembly 10 can include a frame
portion
12, a pair side blower assemblies 14, which are disposed on the frame portion
12 on either
side of a vehicle treatment area 16 to direct air onto side vehicle surfaces,
and an overhead
blower assembly 18 disposed on the frame 12 to direct air onto an upper
exterior surface of a
vehicle in the vehicle treatment area 16. The dryer assembly 10 may be
disposed at or
adjacent an exit end 19 of the vehicle treatment area 16. According to an
aspect, the Frame
portion 12 can include a pair of leg portions 20, which are disposed on either
side of the
vehicle treatment area 16. Each leg portion 20 can include a lower end portion
22, which can
engage a base portion 24 that rests on the ground to hold the leg portions 20
in a generally
vertical position. The leg portions 20 can each also include an upper end
portion 26 which
can engage an overhead crosspiece portion 28 that spans the vehicle treatment
area 16. It
will be appreciated that the dryer assembly 10 and the frame portion 12 can
take on a variety
1
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
of different configuratioris, H. will also be appreciated that more or less or
differently
confieured blower assemblies 14 may be employed on the frame portion 12 and
that they
may be disposed in different locations on the frame portion 12.
[00341 FiGs 5
through 7 schematically illustrate a blower housing 30 for a blower
assembly 14 in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. According to an
aspect, the
blower housing 30 can include an upper head portion 32, a body portion 34, and
an outlet
portion 36 including a plurality of nozzle portions 38. According to an
aspect, the blower
housing 30 may be a single integral structure that is formed from a plastic
material in a
rotational molding process. According to an aspect, the housing may be formed
of a
polyurethane material. It will be appreciated that the blower housing 30 may
be formed from
a variety of different materials and that a variety of other suitable
processes may be
employed. According to a still further aspect, the blower housing 30 may be
formed of a
transparent or translucent material Additionally, the blower housing 30 may be
formed in a
variety of different colors,
1003.5] According to a further aspect, the upper head portion 32 can
include a motor
assembly opening 40 for receipt of a motor unit 42. as shown best in FIGs 5
through 7, The
motor assembly opening 40 may be in communication with an interior blower
cavity 44
disposed in the body portion 34 by way of an inlet opening 45. According to an
aspect, the
blower cavity may serve as an air passageway that conveys air from the motor
unit 42 toward
a lower portion of the housing 30 in a direction generally indicated by arrow
B, The interior
blower cavity 44 may be in communication with each of the plurality of nozzle
portions 38.
According to another aspect, the nozzle portions 38 may be configured to
generally taper
outwardly from the body portion 34 to an air exit outlet 46. According to an
aspect, the air
exit outlets 46 each have an area that is substantially smaller than the size
of an area of the
inlet opening 45. The nozzle portions 38 can have a variety of other
configurations,
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
[00361 According to another aspect, a clearance opening 48 may be formed
in an
upper surface 50 of the body portion 34. According to a further aspect, a
clear elongated
housing structure 52, such as a clear PVC pipe may be inserted into the
clearance opening 48
and into the interior blower cavity 44. The opening may serve to retain and
secure the
illumination source. According to yet another aspect, an illumination source
54 may be
disposed in the elongated housing structure 52 so that one or more
illumination sources may
be located within the blower housing 30. According to an aspect, a retention
mechanism may
be disposed in the housing for retaining an end of the illumination source
opposite the
clearance opening. The illumination source 54 may be an array of light
emitting diodes
(LEDs); however a variety of other suitable illumination sources may be
employed.
According to art aspect, the illumination sources may be LEDs that are
configured to emit
light in accordance with the ROB color convention as directed by a controller
62. For
example, the illumination source 54 may be directed to emit a variety of
different colors.
According to another aspect, the controller 62 may be configured to cycle the
illumination
source 54 through a variety of different colors. According to an aspect, the
elongated
housing structure 52 may be configured as a pipe and may extend the full
height from the
upper surface 50 to the lower surface 56 of the blower housing 30. It will be
appreciated that
it could extend a lesser portion of the height.
[0037] According to another aspect, the light source 54 could be otherwise
associated
with the housing such that it could illuminate the interior of the blower
housing 30. The light
source 54 could be disposed behind the blower housing 30 and the blower
housing 30 could
have an opening disposed adjacent the light source 54 such that the light
could illuminate the
interior of the blower housing 30 and provide an illumination of the housing.
According to a
further aspect, the blower housing 30 could serve as a light pipe such that
the light source 54
is positioned to illuminate the interior of the blower housing 30 and make the
blower housing
8
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
glow to provide a lighted effect. it will be appreciated that the light source
54 could be
disposed in a variety of other locations to illuminate the blower housing 30.
[00381 It will also be appreciated that the housing structure 52 can take
on a variety
of different configurations and may be formed of different materials and may
be formed of
different colors. For example, the elongated housing structure 52 may be
formed of a
translucent material. It will be appreciated that any number of illumination
sources 54 may
be employed within the blower housing 30. The illumination sources 54 may be
connected to
or disposed within the blower housing 30 in a variety of suitable ways. it
will be further
appreciated that more than one elongated housing structure 52 may be disposed
in the blower
housing 30 to hold multiple illumination sources 54. It will also be
appreciated that the
elongated housing structure 52 and the illumination sources 54 can be combined
in a single
unit. Alternatively, illumination sources 54 may be disposed in the blower
housing 30
independent from and without any elongated housing structure 52.
[00391 According to an aspect and with reference to FIGs 3 and 4, a
conduit box 58
may be disposed on the upper surface 50 of the body portion 34, The conduit
box 58 may be
configured to effect an electrical connection between the illumination sources
54 and an
electrical power source (not shown), According to an aspect, an electrical
cord 60 may
extend from the conduit box 58 for communication with a controller 62 to
control lighting of
the illumination sources 54. As will be appreciated, the conduit box 58 can
include
components for assisting the enabling and disabling of the illumination
sources 54, as
directed by the controller 62. According to a further aspect, the controller
can turn the
illumination sources 54 on to emit light through the housing 30 (enabled mode)
and off such
that no light is emitted from the illumination sources 54 (disabled mode). It
will also be
appreciated that the controller 62 can be in communication with other light
sources in the
vehicle wash system such that the illumination sources 54 may be activated and
synchronized
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
with other liuht sources in connection with a package confirmation function,
as is disclosed in
Applicant's co-pending, U.S. Patent Application Serial No.14/687,704, filed
April 15, 2015,
and entitled "Vehicle Wash Package Selection Confirmation System" and/or an
active site
marketing function, as is disclosed in Applicant's co-pending U.S, Patent
Application Serial
No. 4/695,773, filed April 24, 2015, and entitled "Active Site Marketing
Vehicle Wash
System", both of which are hereby incorporated by reference as though set
forth fully herein,
16040/ FIGs 5 and 6 illustrate a motor unit assembly 42 for a blower
assembly 14 in
accordance with an aspect of the disclosure and attachment thereto to the
blower housing 30.
According to an aspect, the motor unit assembly 42 can include a motor 70. The
motor 70
may be hi communication with a mount plate 72 which may be employed to secure
the motor
unit assembly 42 to a first side 80 of the upper head portion 32 of the blower
housing 30.
According to an aspect, the motor 70 may include a high speed impeller 74 via
an opening in
the mount plate 72, According to a further aspect, in operation, upon
actuation of the motor
unit 70, the impeller 74 may be caused to rotate to draw air into the second
side 82 of the
upper head portion 32. An air inlet portion may he secured to the second side
82 of the upper
head portion 32. The air inlet portion may have a mesh layer disposed over an
air inlet
opening to prevent large objects from being drawn into the upper head portion
32. According
to another aspect, the motor 70 may be an electric motor that is in
communication with a
source of power. However, a variety of other suitable types of motors or other
power sources
may be employed.
[00411 According to an aspect, the impeller 74 may be disposed in the
upper head
portion 32. The impeller 74 includes blades the tips of which are disposed a
distance from an
interior wall 84 of the upper head portion 34 such that a flow channel 86 is
created therein.
The flow channel 86 extends generally around the entirety of the blades 88 of
the impeller 74.
According to an aspect, a cut-off 90 is disposed adjacent a discharge area 92,
As is known,
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
the cut-off 90 is the part of the motor unit 42 which is closest to the
impeller blade tips. The
cut-off 99 is designed to assist in conveying fluid brought into the housing
to the nozzle
portion 38 as opposed to continuing to circle within the flow channel 86. As
shown and as is
known, the flow channel 86 expands from the cut-off 90 in the direction of
fluid flow. In
operation, as the impeller 74 rotates about an axis of rotation, air enters
through the inlet
opening 45 travels through the flow channel 86 and exits at the discharge area
92 for
communication with the outlet portion 58 and the nozzle portions 38. A mesh
protector 94
may also be disposed adjacent the discharge area 92.
[0042] According to an aspect and as shown, the plurality of nozzle
portions 38 may
be oriented parallel to one another in a generally vertical orientation. The
nozzle portions 38
may disposed along an entire length of the housing 30 from an upper surface
disposed at the
top of the upper head portion 32 to a lower surface disposed at the bottom of
the housing 30,
According to an aspect, a plurality of nozzle portions 38 are disposed above
the cut-off 90.
With existing blower units, air outlets were only disposed beneath the cut-off
90 so as to
ensure that there is sufficient air flow and flow velocity out of each of the
units, This
obviously decreases the effective coverage area available with existing blower
units,
[0043] According to an aspect, the blower assembly 14 can have at least
three nozzles
38 disposed above the cut-off 90õAccording to another aspect, locating
additional nozzles
above the cut-off 90 does not negatively affect air flow or velocity. On the
other hand, the
ability to include additional nozzles on a blower assembly 14 of substantially
the same height
as existing dryer units can provide significantly increased dryer performance
by providing an
increased coverage area. It will be appreciated that different numbers of
nozzles 38 may be
utilized and that different numbers may be disposed above the cut-off 90. The
utilization of
nozzles 60 above the cut-off 90 allows for air to be directed higher upon on
an exterior
12.
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
surface of a vehicle in a single pass. It will he appreciated that the nozzles
60 may be
disposed entirely along a side of the housing,
[00441 According to an aspect, the illumination source 54 has an enabled
mode and a
disabled mode. In the enabled mode, the illumination source 54 may be
activated by the
controller 62 enabled such that it emits light. The emitted light can pass
through the clear
elongated housing structure 52 and through the translucent blower housing 30.
According to
an aspect, the illumination source 54 can also cause the body of the blower
housing 30 to
glow, which provides a unique aesthetic appearance. In the disabled mode, the
illumination
source 54 may be turned off by the controller 62 such that no light is emitted
therefrom and
the blower housing 30 may be dark. The illumination sources 54 can be disposed
in the
housing in a variety of different locations and can be secure to the outside
of the housing or
formed as an integral unit with the housing.
[00451 According to another aspect, the blower housing 30 may be formed of
a
translucent material with opaque lettering 90 disposed thereon. The opaque
lettering 90 may
be configured to spell out a company name, as generally illustrated in the
drawings. The
opaque lettering 90 can be formed as part of the molding process.
Alternatively, the lettering
may have an opaque coating painted thereon after the forming process.
According to an
aspect, the lettering 90 may he formed such that it is raised with respect to
the surrounding
surfaces of the housing 30, such that lettering sidewalls extend from the
sidewalls from the
exterior surface of the housing to a front surface of the lettering. According
to an aspect, the
sidewalls of the lettering may either be opaque or translucent,
[00461 In operation, when the controller 62 activates the enabled mode of
the
illumination source 54, light is emitted that can pass through the translucent
housing 30.
According to an aspect, the inclusion of opaque lettering 90 on the housing
that is dark (i,e,
no light or substantially no light passes therethroueh) when the housing 30 is
illuminated in
13
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
the enabled mode, can yield a dramatic appearance that draws attention to the
lettering 90.
The effect is akin to a sign where light shines on the lettering to spotlight
it, such as on a
marquis. It will be appreciated that the opaque lettering 90 can be utilized
to display a variety
of different information. For example, the lettering 90 may be utilized to
convey navigational
information.
[0047] According to another aspect, the housing 30 may be configured with
a variety
of different sets of lettering 90 that each convey different information. A
separate
illumination source 54 may be associated with each set of lettering. According
to one
example, one set of lettering may spell out "GO" and another set of lettering
may spell out
"STOP". According to an aspect, when a condition is satisfied, the controller
62 may cause
the illumination source 54 to emit red light such that the word "STOP" is
prominent.
Similarly, when another condition is satisfied, the controller 62 may cause
the illumination
source 54 to emit green light such that the word "GO" is illuminated. A
variety of other
combinations of lettering and colored lights may be employed as desired.
[0048] F1Gs 8 through 10 illustrate a blower assembly 100 according to
another
aspect of the disclosure. As will be appreciated, the blower assembly 100 may
be disposed
on a frame portion and located on either side of the vehicle treatment area to
direct air onto
side vehicle surfaces. It will also be appreciated that the blower assembly
100 could be
disposed on a frame portion to direct air onto an upper exterior surface of a
vehicle in the
vehicle treatment area. According to an aspect, the blower assembly 100 may be
disposed at
or adjacent an exit end of the vehicle treatment area.
[00491 According to an aspect, the blower assembly 100 may include a
housing
portion 102, including a head portion 104, an air passage portion 106 and an
outlet portion
108, including a nozzle portion 110. According to another aspect, the housing
portion 102
may be a single integral structure that is formed of a plastic material in a
rotational molding
14
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
process, The housing portion 102 may be formed ola variety of different
materials and from
a variety of suitable processes. According to a still further aspect, the
housing portion 102
may be formed of a transparent or translucent material. The housing portion
102 may be
formed in a variety of different colors, shapes and configurations.
[0050] According to a further aspect, the head portion 104 may include an
inlet
opening 112 and a motor unit 114, which is in communication with the inlet
opening 112 to
draw air into the housing portion 102. According to an aspect, the motor unit
114 may be
configured as a conventional blower with an impeller and an electric motor, as
is known,
According to another aspect, air drawn into the inlet opening 112 may be
conveyed to the air
passage portion 106. As shown, the air flow through the housing portion 102
may he
generally downward in the direction of the arrow C shown in the FIG 10. It
will be
appreciated that the term downward is only utilized for illustrative purposes
and is not
intended to be limiting. As shown, the nozzle portion 110 may be configured to
taper
generally outwardly from the outlet portion 108. As will be appreciated, the
nozzle portion
110 includes an exit opening 116 that may have a substantially smaller area
than that of the
inlet opening 112 such that high velocity air may be emitted therefrom to
force water off an
exterior surface of the vehicle. It will also be appreciated that the nozzle
portion 110 can
have a variety of different configurations,.
[00511 According to an aspect, a clearance opening 118 may be formed in an
upper
surface 120 of the housing portion 102, According to a further aspect., a
light source 122 may
be inserted into the clearance opening 118 such that it is disposed in the
housing portion 102
and resides in the air passage portion 106. According to another aspect, in
the enabled mode,
the light source 122 may emit light that may pass through the housing portion
102 and may
he seen from an exterior of the blower assembly 100. According to another
aspect, the light
source 122 may be secured within the housing portion 102 by a securing
mechanism 124.
15.
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
The securing mechanism 124 may be a bracket or other suitable mounting
structure. A
variety of different ways for securing the light source 122 within the housing
portion 102
may be employed. As discussed above, the light source 122 may be disposed
within a
plastic housing structure, The light source 122 may be configured as an
elongated array of
LEDs. However, a variety of other suitable illumination sources may be
employedt
i0052] Additionally and as shown in FlGs through 11, a conduit box 126 may
be
disposed on the upper surface 120 of the housing portion 102. The conduit box
126 may be
configured to effect an electrical connection between the light source 122 and
an electrical
power source (not shown). According to an aspect, the light source 122 may be
in
communication with a controller to control operation of the light source 122
and activation of
the enabled and disabled mode.
[00531 F1Gs 12 and 13 illustrate a blower assembly 200 according to a
still further
aspect of the disclosure. As will be appreciated, the blower assembly 200 may
be disposed on
a frame portion and located on either side of the vehicle treatment area to
direct air onto side
vehicle surfaces. It will also be appreciated that the blower assembly 200
could be disposed
on a frame portion to direct air onto an upper exterior surface of a vehicle
in the vehicle
treatment area According to an aspect, the blower assembly 200 may be disposed
at or
adjacent an exit end of the vehicle treatment area.
10054] According to an aspect, the blower assembly 200 may include a
housing
portion 202, including a head portion 204, an air passage portion 206 and an
outlet portion
208, including a nozzle portion 210, According to another aspect, the housing
portion 202
may he a single integral structure that is formed of a plastic material in a
rotational molding
process. The housing portion 202 may be formed of a variety of different
materials and from
a variety of suitable processesõAccording to a still further aspect, the
housing portion 202
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
may be formed of a transparent or translucent material, The housing portion
202 may be
formed in a variety of different colors, shapes and configurations,
[00551 According to a further aspect, the head portion 204 may include an
inlet
opening 212 and a motor unit 214, which is in communication with the inlet
opening 212 to
draw air into the housing portion 202. According to an aspect, the motor unit
214 may be
configured as a conventional blower with an impeller and an electric motor, as
is known.
According to another aspect, air drawn into the inlet opening 212 may be
conveyed to the air
passage portion 206, As shown, the air flow through the housing portion 202
may be
generally downward in the direction of the arrow D shown in the FIG 13, It
will be
appreciated that the term downward is only utilized for illustrative purposes
and is not
intended to be limiting,
10056/ According to an aspect, the air passage portion 206 may include a
passage
within the housing portion 202 and a hose portion 216. As shown, the hose
portion 216 may
extend between and connect the housing portion 202 with the nozzle portion
210. According
to another aspect, the nozzle portion 210 can include an exit opening 218, As
shown, the exit
opening 218 may be configured to emit high velocity air in a direction
generally
perpendicular to the direction of air flow (D) through the air passage portion
206. As shown,
the nozzle portion 210 may be configured to taper generally outwardly from,
the outlet portion
208. As will be appreciated, the exit opening 218 may have a substantially
smaller area than
that of the inlet opening 212 such that high velocity air may be emitted
therefrom to force
water off an exterior surface of the vehicle. It will also be appreciated that
the nozzle portion
210 can have a variety of different configurations.
[0057l According to an aspect, a clearance opening 220 may be formed in an
upper
surface 222 of the housing portion 202. According to a further aspect, a light
source 224 may
be inserted into the clearance opening 220 such that it is disposed in the
housing portion 202
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
and resides in the air passage portion 206õAccording to another aspect, in the
enabled mode,
the light source 224 may emit light that may pass through the housing portion
202 and may
be seen from an exterior of the blower assembly 200. According to another
aspect, the light
source 224 may be secured within the housing portion 202 by a variety of
suitable securing or
mounting structures. As discussed above, the light source 224 may be disposed
within a
plastic housing structure. The light source 224 may be configured as an
elongated array of
LEDs. However, a variety of other suitable illumination sources may be
employed.
According to another aspect, the light source 226 may be disposed in the
nozzle portion 210.
It will be appreciated that the light source 226 may be instead of or in
addition to the light
source 224, Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the light sources 224,
226 may be
configured as a singular LED strip. It will further be appreciated that any
number of light
sources may be employed and that they can be disposed in a variety of suitable
locations.
[0058] Additionally and as shown in F1Gs 12 through 13, a conduit box 228
may be
disposed on the upper surface 230 of the housing portion 202. The conduit box
228 may be
configured to effect an electrical connection between the light source 242,
226 and an
electrical power source (not shown), According to an aspect, each of the light
sources 224,
226 may be in communication with a controller to control operation of the
light sources 224,
226 and activation of the enabled and disabled mode
[00591 Note that not all of the activities described above in the general
description or
the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be
required, and that
one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those
described. Still further,
the orders in which activities are listed are not necessarily the order in
which they are
performed,
[0060] The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described
herein are
intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various
embodiments. The
4.8.=
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
specification and illustrations are not intended to serve as an exhaustive and
comprehensive
description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that
use the structures
or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those
of skill in
the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be used and
derived from the
disclosure, such that a structural substitution, logical substitution, or
another change may be
made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the
disclosure is to be
regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
WO) Certain features are, tbr clarity, described herein in the context
of separate
embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment,
Conversely,
various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single
embodiment, may
also be provided separately or in any sub combination. Further, reference to
values stated in
ranges includes each and every value within that range.
/0062] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been
described
above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages,
solutions to
problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or
solution to occur or
become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or
essential feature of
any or all the claims.
[00631 The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative,
and not
restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any and all such
modifications,
enhancements, and other embodiments that fail within the scope of the present
invention,
Thus, to the maximum extent al/owed by law, the scope of the present invention
is to be
determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims
and their
equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the Foregoing detailed
description,
[0064/ Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in
detail
above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many
modifications are possible in
CA 02995119 2018-02-07
WO 2017/035204
PCT/US2016/048337
the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel
teachings and
advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, ail such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the embodiments
of the present
disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-
function clauses are
intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited
function and not
only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures,
